MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—Bill Sullivan’s Barry University women’s basketball team has three transfers and a freshman set to join for the 2009-10 season, as well as welcoming back Christina Thompson, the school’s single season leader in three-point field goals, who missed most of last season with an injury.
“We are very excited about the newcomers to our Barry University women’s basketball family,” Sullivan said. “Five of our top players and some of our leading scorers, rebounders, and defenders from last year’s team graduated, so our new players will have the opportunity to come in and contribute immediately. In these players, we believe we have a lot of athleticism, speed, and scoring ability. We are also impressed with their defensive capabilities, so we are convinced we will continue to have a strong defensive team.”
Transfer guards Adrienne Hicks, Anika Rivera and Alicia Mullings and freshman post Tilde Ahlin will make their Buccaneer debuts this season.
Hicks, a 5-7 junior from Southern Union CC in Alabama, is a very quick wing guard who led the Bison to a 27-4 mark and first place in the Alabama Community College Conference Southern Division. She was third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.2 points per game, and shooting 50 percent from the field. She also chipped in 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The Bison were the top defensive team in the ACCC, holding opponents to 52.9 points per game and 35.6 percent shooting.
Rivera, a 5-7 junior from City College of New York, is another quick, athletic guard whose forte is defense. As a freshman, Rivera led the nation in NCAA Division III with 5.8 steals per game. She averaged 3.5 steals per game as a sophomore. She was also one of the Beavers’ top performers on the offensive end, leading the team in scoring both years, 15.1 points per game as a freshman and 13.3 as a sophomore.
Mullings, a 5-9 swing guard from Phoenix College, was an honorable mention WBCA Junior College All-American for the Bears. She led the team in scoring both years, 15.2 points as a sophomore and 12.3 as a freshman. An outstanding student, she was named valedictorian for her graduating class. She has the makeup to score both inside and out and is a strong rebounder, averaging 7.2 and 5.1 rebounds the last two years.
Ahlin, a 6-2 freshman post from Sweden, brings some much-needed size to the Bucs, where she will be the tallest player. A member of the Swedish U18 Junior National Team, she has solid basketball fundamentals and range out beyond the three-point arc.
“These young women certainly meet the criteria for student-athletes at Barry,” Sullivan said, “in that they are all excellent students and great people as well. It is with great anticipation that we look forward to adding these newcomers to our returnees and hope to put an exciting team on the court this season.”
The Bucs open the season Nov. 20-21 at the Nova Southeastern Tip-off Tournament against Georgia College & State and Armstrong Atlantic.
